What I believe In
by AccendoAnimus
Summary: "Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them." She hoped that maybe one day, she would find a world she truly belongs to. She just never expected it to be this one.
1. Loner

You know, when she woke up that morning, she had the feeling to just _stay in bed; _that feeling where it fills you with dread to just think about getting up. But she did anyway, why? Because it was her last day of highschool. She knew that she couldn't skip it, even though sometime in the next five months, she was still allowed in it. She had worked her ass off to graduate early; she worked it off even more to get the bank to give her the rest of her money to go to Europe for 5 months too. So technically, she wouldn't have time to go back. It's not like she wanted to. Her 'friends' had deserted her long ago and the only reason she stayed in school was to be able to go to a university abroad. She just kind of wanted to thank the teachers who gave her lessons as she went along. She was all alone, but she was far from lonely. She had her books, and her homework, and her swimming. Oh, and she also had her video games. The same games her parent's worked on before they disappeared on her. But at least they disappeared with enough money in the house for her to live comfortably as a wealthy orphan. She would silently thank her parents for the ridiculous safe they insisted being installed into the basement because apparently 'the banks aren't safe'. She was glad because if they had put it into a bank, she wouldn't be able to touch it until she was 18; which means she would have had a much shittier time then she was already having. She never really felt like this was where she belonged. She always hoped for something more worthwhile than what she was currently experiencing.

The disappearance didn't really change much about her life. They were always gone. Her Mom was a voice director; one in three in the country. She would travel the world to find voices and be gone for weeks at a time. Dad was a writer, so he would always tag along with her. They always assumed she was okay with them leaving all the time. And in all honesty, she was for a while. It's been three years since Antigone last saw her parents. The only thing she really had left of them was a charm bracelet they had given her on her tenth birthday. Every year they would get her a charm to put on it. It still had a spot left, but could never bring herself to buy something for it.

After her shower and breakfast, Antigone hopped into her car and drove to school. It was an uneventful day. Mostly teacher's watching youtube with the class because the finals and the exams were all completed. Technically, everyone was already done the course. It never made sense why they insisted on keeping them for the last Friday of the week. But she never complained out loud, she didn't really have anyone who would care to listen. As the clock slowly ticked closer to her last period; the only thing in the way of freedom, Antigone considered just ditching class. What were they going to do? Ungraduate her? She smiled slightly as she flowed over to her locker to grab her keys and coat.

On the way out of the building, she looked around the building that had given her ambition for the last three years. A part of her was glad to be free of it; the other wondered what she would do now. She wasn't upset leaving the building, in fact, the closer she got to the door, the happier her heart felt. She would now be able to see the world and meet people who were like her. However, her quick trip out stopped when she accidently bumped into a Middle Eastern janitor while her was carrying some rolls of toilet paper.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should've been looking where I was going!"

"No, no. It was _I _who was hiding behind a mountain of toilet paper rolls, my dear." He gave a hearty chuckle and stroked his beard. She gave a laugh as well.

"At least let me help you carry them." She started to help pick up the rolls and he smiled and nodded.

On their way to the janitor's room the man began talking again.

"So you must be glad you're graduating, huh? Bet you're not going to miss it."

"Yeah, this school doesn't have much to miss. Uh, no offense." She turned a little pink for insulting the school he spent his time cleaning.

"Non-taken, Antigone, non-taken."

When they got to the office and put the rolls down, she turned to say goodbye and to smile at him. But he was busy scrounging through drawers in his desk.

"Wait a second, wait." More scrounging, a cuss, a kick at the desk and more scrounging followed. "Ha, here we go." He turned around holding his hand closed giving her a grin. "Take this for your help, and as a graduation present." Her took her hand and dropped something small into her hand. "For your bracelet. I noticed it had a charm missing."

She looked down and saw a small hour glass shaped charm in her hand. It was silver with the odd shimmer of gold. Honestly, it was beautiful to her.

"It's so pretty! But I can't take this, it's too pretty to be given out to someone for free!"

"I won't take no for an answer. No off you go, you've got a trip to pack for right?"

"Haha, thank you, sir. I'll put it on right now."

"Why don't you wait till you're home? You might drop it on this dirty floor. Seriously, is this place ever cleaned?" He gave her a wink and ushered her out of his office. With a goodbye, he closed the door behind him and Antigone started down the hallway and made it to her car before what had happened really hit her.

She had never seen that man before. Not once in her memory, that was nearly perfect, did she remember meeting him. And he knew about her trip, that she had told no one about. And about her charm bracelet that she was wearing under her coat! Ignoring the frightening tingle that racked her body, she put it off as a coincidence. Many students were going on trip for the break and lots of girls had charm bracelets. But what she fought to ignore was the fact that he knew her name.

After getting home, Antigone decided that she would play a little **Prince of Persia **number 1. She went and turned on the original xbox and plopped down on the couch. After an hour, she finally had beaten the Vizier in Farah's chamber. Antigone always found the romance between the two cute and wished that she could be Farah. She admired the prince's bravery and saw him as one of the most attractive video game characters she had seen. Humming to herself, she left her remote on her couch. She went and looked out across the hills and rivers that sprawled the area where she lived. It was still early and she wanted to go on one last hike before the end of the year. She went out dressed in shorts , a tight black tanktop and wore a band around her arm to put her music player in. After she tied up her running shoes, she realized she had forgotten her bracelet. She always felt naked without it, like she wasn't right to be without it. However, even after putting it on, she still felt out of place. She remembered the hourglass the janitor gave her and decided maybe that's what her subconscious was telling her. Antigone went around her bed and scooped up her jeans, digging into the pocket to get the charm. After putting on the charm, she went down stairs. Walking out the door, she glanced at her ipod and turned around to lock her doors. After doing so, she glanced up and froze. Blinking, she rubbed her eyes and smacked herself a few times. No rolling hills met her, no river valley, she was standing behind a huge hourglass and all she could hear was a familiar voice, that she didn't want to admit was, shouting at someone to stop before he destroyed them all.

She had walked in on the first scene of the Prince of Persia game.

Panicking, she turned around to go back through her door, but only saw a wall. She was trapped in a video game's world. Watching as one of the most horrific things of all video game time took place.

"What the hell just happened to me?"


	2. Unexpected Strength

Hey people, so if you've read my other stories, you'll now that things are not going to go exactly as planned. So brace yourselves for an adventure.

-Im here to enkindle courage. :)

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Rubbing her eyes, she looked around at what had happened before her. The bottom of the hour glass opened and sand leaked out. Rocks began to fall from the roof and she heard the Vizer cast magic.

"Father!"

"Give me the dagger!"

"No."

"You have unleashed the Sands of Time, I can undo what you have done. Give it to me!"

She remembered this scene play out in the game and she knew that if she was going to get to the bottom of what the fuck was happening, she would have to follow the prince. She ignored the fact she wasn't turning into a sand creature and ran pillar to pillar following the prince outside of the room before the walls collapsed. Quietly she dove behind a pillar to hide from the prince. Peaking from out behind it, she watched the Farah run from the room and the prince defeat the sand creatures with Farah's voice helping him. Antigone was in so much panic, she did not notice any sensations in her own body. She felt neither hot or cold, nor tired or energized. She needed to calm down. She slowly walked to the next pillar to get a better view of the prince as he stepped into the beam of light. She knew now was going to be the only time she could disarm him so he would listen to her.

The beam of light faded but the prince lay unconscious on the ground. Cautiously, she moved toward him. Still out cold, she nudged him with her boot, ready to bolt at any stirring. Fortunately, he didn't move. She drew his sword from him but let him keep his dagger, for she didn't think a sand creature prince would be of any help. She sat a few yards from him and waited for him to stir.

"What am I going to say? This is crazy. I must be dreaming. Huh, if I'm dreaming, this is an awesome dream. Seriously, who has dream where they get to play in their favorite video game? So just chill, An. It'll be okay."

Whispering same reassurances to herself, she managed to calm down and consider the possibility of this being an adventure. But that calmness vanished when the prince started to stir. Slowly, he got up and gripped his head.

"That hurt. Why did I even run into that? It could have killed me."

_Oh great, now he's changing his actual lines. How am I supposed to treat that? _

"Wait, where is my sword?!" Panic crossed the Prince's face as he turned round and round; a dog chasing a non-existent tail.

"Um, hi." She spoke and he seemed to not see her at first, or believe he was seeing her. She did realize she was probably dressed strangely to him. However, after seeing that she held his sword, he crossed the distance she had placed within seconds, managed to take the sword, and pin her against the wall.

_Stupid choice with the wall, Antigone. _

"Why did you take my sword, woman!"

"Wait, wait! Just calm down for a second, I was trying to avoid an incident like this. I wanted you to know I mean you no harm and so you could listen instead of attack me! Please don't hurt me."

_I sound like a whinny bitch and besides, I could probably break free from this hold, I have been doing Karate since I was a girl. Oh well, he's too good a guy to do me any real harm._

Not releasing her, he stared at her face and looked her up and down. Suddenly she blushed at the close proximity of such a handsome man and her.

_Smarten up._

"If you're done looking me over like a piece of meat, will you listen to me?" She shot the words with venom to make him feel guilt, which she knew worked for Farah.

Sighing, he released her and sheathed his sword. "I'm waiting."

"Um, my name is Antigone. And um, well, you've basically destroyed the kingdom by opening the sands. So you need to close them."

"Yeah, I've basically got that." Sarcasm trickled through his voice.

"And well, the dagger is the only reason why you aren't a sand creature, so don't ever take it off your person." That seemed to surprise him.

"How do you know that?" He glared at her, now untrusting her knowledge.

_What? I tell him he's a video game character? Does he even know what that is? No. Lie._

"My mother was an oracle, she sent me her to help you." He visibly relaxed at her words.

"So you know how to fix all of this?"

_I did when I was playing as you, but obviously since I'm here, things will be different. _

"Kind of? It's different than what I learned."

"Do you know where we start at least?"

"Um, not really. But I know we'll figure it out. Besides, Farah will help us at some point."

"Farah?"

Smirking, she teased him, "Spoilers! Now come Prince, let's go win this war."

Laughing he followed her. After noticing she was unarmed he stopped again.

"You have no weapon. Oh no, do you even know how to use one?"

Antigone stopped in her tracks. No weapon but she had her fists, but that wouldn't block sword blows.

"Um, well. No. But I do know how to fight with my hands and feet."

"That won't stop sword blows."

Sighing, she put her hand to her forehead and put her weight on one foot. "I know."

"You might be able to use a shortsword. You look maybe strong enough to hold one?"

_Maybe strong enough?_

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"Well you're a woman. And you are quite dainty looking." He said as he walked toward a broken weapon rack that lay on the floor. "Come here."

Muttering swears under her breath, she went to him. He past her the tiniest and lightest thing, next to a dagger. _This is way to light. It will shatter._

"Strong enough to hold that?"

Rolling her eyes, she put the weapon back and strode to the area where the sand creatures died. She grabbed a sabre off the floor. Examining it, she lifted the weight and looked for cracks or dents. She did a move that she learned when she first started Karate that had room for a weapon. The weapon felt like an extension of her arm. _Good. This is will help._

She turned back to smirk at the prince but found him with his jaw dropped. She burst out laughing.

"What's wrong, princey boy?"

Turning red, he closed his mouth. "I'm just surprised you can even lift that." Then he muttered. "Or even do that move." But she heard it.

"Not as weak as I look, huh?" She stuck her tongue out at him as she walked toward him. "Now I need to put this into something, so I can walk without having it out. Ideas?"

"Maybe we could fasten a belt and you could but it threw that for now?"

"Can you do it? I have no idea."

"Sure." He walked to a curtain and pulled it down. Sitting on the floor, he began to work. She sat across from him.

"How did you learn to do that?"

"When I was a child, I once found a sword in the guard house and stole it. However, I was running and had nothing to put it in. I tripped and fell and it sliced open my leg. Needless to say, I was introuble. However, the person who found me was the old man who took care of me. He taught me how to take cloth to make it into a sheath for a weapon and belt for it. So if I ever lost one, I would have something to put it in."

"Oh, that's cool."

"Cool? Why is it cold?"

"That's slang for something that is…um…something that is a little better than good but less than amazing?"

He nodded in understanding. "Where do you come from?"

_North America? Do they even have that. What's my heritage again? English and Slavic? Those aren't good. Greek? My skin is dark enough and so are my hair and eyes. Yeah. I went there when I was a kid, so I know the basics. _

"Athens, Greece. Why?"

"You speak differently than someone from here and your clothes are strange."

She looked down in her hiking wear. Wincing, she realized these were not the most flattering close she could be wearing, but at least they were practical.

"Yeah, I know."

"You said the dagger protects me from the sands." He looked up into her eyes. _Wow, so they're blue. _"So what protects you?"

Puzzlement filled her mind. _What does protect me? _

"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe I'm special." She laughed hoping he would too. He did.

Smiling he looked at her again. "You are a very strange person, Antigone."

"Thanks?"

Smirking he said, "Welcome."

Suddenly, Antigone's wrist began to feel warm, an uncomfortable warm. Her charm bracelet was glowing!

"What the heck?" She looked at her wrist and examined the glowing charms.

Suddenly, the sound she always hated came.

It seems to sand creatures had responded. But this time they brought reinforcements.

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Please read and review :)


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